Lowell Cohn: Forget wild card, A's begin race to win AL West

Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp, right, is congratulated by third base coach Mike Gallego (2) after Crisp hit a home run off Tampa Bay Rays' Jamey Wright in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 1, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

September 2, 2013, 1:09AM

09/02/2013

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Sure, it's been happening for months. But today is different. The Texas Rangers come to Oakland to play the A's, to play for supremacy in the American League West — more on supremacy in a moment.

Know this. It is September. The teams that matter have dashed past the clubhouse turn and they're into the final straightaway, breathing hard, giving everything. And although the playoffs have not begun, this feels like playoff ball — the A's and Rangers playing three games in Oakland starting today and three in Texas starting next week, six out of the A's next 13 games against the Rangers, no interleague nonsense anymore, the A's one game behind the Rangers for the division lead, the issue between Texas and Oakland white hot, sizzling, the essence of baseball.

The A's have 26 games remaining and they play other teams and those games matter. But now they are playing the Rangers head to head. They can take the lead. They can bury the Rangers.

Texas lost 4-2 to the Twins on Sunday. The A's beat the Rays 5-1, swept the Rays, made a statement against Tampa Bay, currently second to the A's in the AL wild-card race.

This certainly is the "statement" part of the season, but I have to admit something. I just wrote a dirty word. "Wild card." It's as dirty as any word you can think of, even @#$%.

Why is wild card a dirty word when there are such obvious benefits to being a wild-card team? You get into the postseason, something the Giants won't do. Getting into the postseason is good any way you work it.

But you don't want to get into the postseason as a wild-card team if you can do it the preferred way — as a division winner. Any team with an instinct for self-preservation wants to avoid being a wild card at all costs.

What's wrong with being a wild card?

Way too risky. The game is one and done between the two wild-card teams, the consolation teams. It's more spectacle than sporting event. It's do or die, win or you don't matter. You win, great, you continue. You lose, see you in spring training. It is drastic — and exiting — when a team's entire season comes down to a one-game playoff.

If it's the A's vs. the Rays, one team will have a very long road trip. The A's do not want that road trip.

Even if you win the game, you're at a disadvantage. You had to use your best pitcher in a mere qualifier. Now, he's unavailable early in the first round of the playoffs when you need him most. You probably used your bullpen, stressed your closer. You did all that while your first-round opponent rested and played video games.

And there's something about the A's, something specific about their makeup that makes a one-game deal scary. The A's are a team built for the long haul. They will do well over an entire season. They will do well in a five-game postseason series or a seven-game postseason series. They will not necessarily do well in one game, in that one killer game between the two wild-card entrants.

Why?

Because they have no stud hitter in the lineup. Although they have hitters and hits up and down their batting order, they don't have Miguel Cabrera or anyone like him to take over that one game with an exclamation point. The A's thought Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes would be that guy. Not quite.

And they don't have a stud pitcher, either, no King Felix Hernandez to win the game they absolutely must win, although they have winning pitchers and wins up and down their starting rotation and in the bullpen.

None of this means they won't win the one-game playoff, but their very makeup renders things harder.

Before Sunday's game, manager Bob Melvin spoke about the possibility of being the wild-card team. As he spoke he looked stricken, as if he was battling food poisoning. "To me, it's pretty exhausting to look at all the wild-card implications right now," he said, acting exhausted. "I think every team's goal and focus is to win their division so you don't have to deal with that one-game playoff.

"It's a great game for fans. Anytime you have those sudden-death games, it's terrific for the fans but, win or lose, certainly even when you win it, it takes a lot out of you. I try not to think too much about it right now. It's nice to get in the playoffs regardless, but winning your division, it would be a lot easier to do it that way."

"I think it did in Baltimore," he said. "It certainly did in Detroit. With this series (Tampa) it did. Now, Texas probably brings it to another level based on the rivalry we have going with them from last year. They're a game up on us right now, so that's the one that probably peaks more people's interest and certainly gets our attention as well as their attention."

"I assume you want the (wild-card) game here," someone asked.

Melvin got that stricken, food-poisoned look again. "I don't want the game," he almost shouted. "I'd prefer not to have the game."

Sure, it's been happening for months. But today is different. The Texas Rangers come to Oakland to play the A's, to play for supremacy in the American League West — more on supremacy in a moment.

Know this. It is September. The teams that matter have dashed past the clubhouse turn and they're into the final straightaway, breathing hard, giving everything. And although the playoffs have not begun, this feels like playoff ball — the A's and Rangers playing three games in Oakland starting today and three in Texas starting next week, six out of the A's next 13 games against the Rangers, no interleague nonsense anymore, the A's one game behind the Rangers for the division lead, the issue between Texas and Oakland white hot, sizzling, the essence of baseball.

The A's have 26 games remaining and they play other teams and those games matter. But now they are playing the Rangers head to head. They can take the lead. They can bury the Rangers.

Texas lost 4-2 to the Twins on Sunday. The A's beat the Rays 5-1, swept the Rays, made a statement against Tampa Bay, currently second to the A's in the AL wild-card race.

This certainly is the "statement" part of the season, but I have to admit something. I just wrote a dirty word. "Wild card." It's as dirty as any word you can think of, even @#$%.

Why is wild card a dirty word when there are such obvious benefits to being a wild-card team? You get into the postseason, something the Giants won't do. Getting into the postseason is good any way you work it.

But you don't want to get into the postseason as a wild-card team if you can do it the preferred way — as a division winner. Any team with an instinct for self-preservation wants to avoid being a wild card at all costs.

What's wrong with being a wild card?

Way too risky. The game is one and done between the two wild-card teams, the consolation teams. It's more spectacle than sporting event. It's do or die, win or you don't matter. You win, great, you continue. You lose, see you in spring training. It is drastic — and exiting — when a team's entire season comes down to a one-game playoff.

If it's the A's vs. the Rays, one team will have a very long road trip. The A's do not want that road trip.

Even if you win the game, you're at a disadvantage. You had to use your best pitcher in a mere qualifier. Now, he's unavailable early in the first round of the playoffs when you need him most. You probably used your bullpen, stressed your closer. You did all that while your first-round opponent rested and played video games.

And there's something about the A's, something specific about their makeup that makes a one-game deal scary. The A's are a team built for the long haul. They will do well over an entire season. They will do well in a five-game postseason series or a seven-game postseason series. They will not necessarily do well in one game, in that one killer game between the two wild-card entrants.

Why?

Because they have no stud hitter in the lineup. Although they have hitters and hits up and down their batting order, they don't have Miguel Cabrera or anyone like him to take over that one game with an exclamation point. The A's thought Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes would be that guy. Not quite.

And they don't have a stud pitcher, either, no King Felix Hernandez to win the game they absolutely must win, although they have winning pitchers and wins up and down their starting rotation and in the bullpen.

None of this means they won't win the one-game playoff, but their very makeup renders things harder.

Before Sunday's game, manager Bob Melvin spoke about the possibility of being the wild-card team. As he spoke he looked stricken, as if he was battling food poisoning. "To me, it's pretty exhausting to look at all the wild-card implications right now," he said, acting exhausted. "I think every team's goal and focus is to win their division so you don't have to deal with that one-game playoff.

"It's a great game for fans. Anytime you have those sudden-death games, it's terrific for the fans but, win or lose, certainly even when you win it, it takes a lot out of you. I try not to think too much about it right now. It's nice to get in the playoffs regardless, but winning your division, it would be a lot easier to do it that way."

After the game, I asked if the Texas series feels like the playoffs.

"I think it did in Baltimore," he said. "It certainly did in Detroit. With this series (Tampa) it did. Now, Texas probably brings it to another level based on the rivalry we have going with them from last year. They're a game up on us right now, so that's the one that probably peaks more people's interest and certainly gets our attention as well as their attention."

"I assume you want the (wild-card) game here," someone asked.

Melvin got that stricken, food-poisoned look again. "I don't want the game," he almost shouted. "I'd prefer not to have the game."